I love this chapter, and I have no excuses for that.

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*~Three Weeks Later~*

Eren was awoken by the incessant buzzing of his phone on the night table next to his bed. He fumbled to reach for it, peeping one eye open to check the caller ID.

It was Alex, and the notifications at the top told him it wasn't the first time she called. Snapping to alertness, he answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hey. I'm headed your way. Get up and get ready."

"What? Why? What's going on?"

"I'll explain when I get there."

"O-okay..."

"See you in a few."

She hung up, leaving Eren in a state of confusion and disorientation. With two other missed calls from her and a text message asking, 'You up?', it could only have to do with Levi. Not knowing whether he should be worried or what, he stumbled his way out of bed and toward the bathroom for a much-needed pee. Once done, he jumped in the shower in hopes of chasing the sleep from his body. When the doorbell rang, he was still running a towel through his hair as he made his way down the stairs to answer it. Of course, Carla made it there first and sure enough, Alex was the one on the other side of the threshold.

"Oh, hello, Alex. Come on in," invited Carla, stepping aside. Alex thanked her and stepped in, shutting the door in her wake.

"What's up?" Eren asked, throwing the towel over his shoulder.

Alex lowered her sunglasses and cast him a smile. "I have fantastic news," she said. Eren raised his brows. "Levi's being released today."

"What? Seriously?" Pure joy and mild confusion rocketed through Eren's being; he took a step toward her.

She nodded in confirmation. "Seriously."

"But...he's not supposed to get out for another couple of weeks..."

"I know, but Rose called me last night and said he's made a ridiculously fast recovery and they've decided to release him because he doesn't need the immediate care anymore. Believe me, I was shocked, too."

Eren searched her face. His skepticism wouldn't allow him to believe her completely, even though he knew she was telling the truth. It just seemed too good to be true.

"Go finish getting ready," Alex continued.

"Right..." Eren mumbled. He hurried back up the stairs as Alex and his mother broke into idle chatter while they waited for him.

He ran into a sleepy Mikasa halfway down the hall.

"What's going on? Who's here so early?" she mumbled.

"Alex," Eren answered hastily, disappearing back into his room to comb his hair and find a pair of shoes.

"Who?"

"Levi's sister. He's getting out of rehab today."

Mikasa blinked at him from the doorway. "I thought that wasn't supposed to happen for like another month..."

"We all did." He swiped his wallet and keys from his desk, along with Levi's belongings - the raven's own wallet, keys, and phone along with the baggie containing his body jewelry.

"Oh. Well...cool, I guess. I'm going back to bed..." She yawned as he walked past her and kissed her head.

"Have a nice sleep."

"Sure. Be...careful, or whatever..."

He waved over his shoulder at her and practically flew down the stairs.

"That was fast," commented Alex.

Eren merely shrugged. He was much too anxious to get out of there.

"Come back for brunch," Carla offered. "To celebrate."

"Thanks, Mom," said Eren, hugging her goodbye and turning to follow Alex out the door.

"So...they called you last night?" he was asking as Alex pulled away from the curb.

"Yeah. It was like 10:30 and Rose called to let me know they've decided to let Levi come home early because he's doing so well. She actually said they were planning on releasing him Thursday night, but his therapist required him to stay for a few days to be on the safe side."

"Do you...really think he's ready?"

"I think so," she confirmed. She'd paid him a visit not three days ago. "He's doing a lot better than he probably sounds over the phone. Just hearing him talk is one thing...but actually seeing him is a lot different. I just didn't know they let patients go before their treatment span is up."

"Neither did I."

Eren couldn't deny Levi's improvement, even if he had only been in contact with him via phone calls and hadn't actually laid eyes on him in over two months. He'd been much more animated in the past few calls. They'd taken him off the IV about a week and a half ago and he was finally able to fully digest more than one meal a day. In the course of a week, he'd gained almost ten pounds, putting him back up near a hundred. He still had a long way to go, but it was great improvement compared to how he'd still been losing weight only two weeks earlier.

Eren wasn't too clear on the emotional side. Levi left a lot of that out; the brunet knew it was because he was sparing him extra worry. Of course, Eren worried anyway. If Levi was trying to spare him concern, he knew that only meant there was bad news on the matter.

The 40-mile ride seemed to last forever to the brunet male. He couldn't recall ever being so anxious in his life. Alex had turned up the radio just before getting on the highway and that served to hold his attention for a while and keep him sane, but the longer the miles seemed to drag on, the less it helped. Finally, the small town seemingly in the middle of nowhere came into view and Eren's stomach jumped in anticipation. This was only his third trip up there and it was longer than he remembered. He couldn't imagine doing it every day he had off back and forth, but had he been allowed to visit the tattoo artist, he would've been more than ecstatic to do so.

"Do you always fidget when you're nervous?" Alex mused, lips curling into a grin.

"Yeah," Eren said, suddenly aware of his shaking leg and how he was picking at his nails. He didn't stop.

"Annnd why are you nervous?"

"More anxious than nervous," he replied. His eyes were wide and flitting in every direction out the window, waiting for the brick building to come into view. When it did, his stomach jumped again and he involuntarily bit down on his lip.

Empty stomach churning, they walked into the building. The lobby hadn't changed in the slightest and Rose even stood behind the main desk as she had the past two times Eren stepped foot in that room. She greeted them with her usual too-practiced smile.

"Levi should be out shortly," she said. "Go ahead and take a seat."

The two complied and as soon as Eren sat down, his leg started bouncing again. His hands came together and he started twiddling his thumbs, staring downward, hair concealing most of his face.

He was nervous. He was excited. He was nervously excited, or excitedly nervous. He was admittedly afraid, too. All of the needless worries his anxiety had put in his head swam forth and buzzed around his head like bees.

What if Levi wasn't the same? Of course he wasn't - he was much better. But what if he wasn't Levi? He'd be Levi...but what if this treatment had broken down the Levi Eren knew and replaced him with who Levi really was? Wouldn't that be a good thing, though? But what if this Levi was...different in a bad way? What if Eren was only in love with the Levi he knew...if he'd actually changed?

On top of that came worries for the raven himself.

What permanent damage did drug abuse cause him? Were there things he'd have to deal with for the rest of his life? What were they? Were they bearable? Treatable? Curable? How would they affect the way his life functioned?

And then the selfish questions.

What if...what if Levi no longer felt the same? What if he didn't want Eren in his life anymore? Was his 'I love you' just a spur of the moment? What if it was in a different way than Eren thought? A different way than Eren loved him? What if he came out of there...and immediately rejected Eren? All Eren ever wanted was what's best for Levi, for him to get better and to see him smile. Even so, he couldn't shake the fear that maybe Levi had changed his mind...

Eren had no answers to these questions, nor did he have time to find any or reassure himself as gentle fingers ran through the left side of his hair, pushing the stubborn strands away from his eyes. He looked up to find a man he almost didn't recognize standing before him. All at once, his fidgeting stopped and his teeth released his lip, eyes widening considerably as he took it in.

Ever so slowly, he moved to his feet, his eyes all the while searching and studying the face in front of him...the face he remembered to be pale, sickly, thin, frail. The face he remembered to bear tear streaks and sheens of sweat, to be scrunched up in pain or pressed in a scowl. He remembered bloodshot eyes nestled unnaturally deep in dark-circled sockets. The one he couldn't take his eyes off now was nowhere near any of those things. It was calm and almost glowing. It no longer held the pallid complexion, but had transformed to a stunning ivory, the tiniest hint of pink in the cheeks. Skin no longer clung desperately to bone, but rounded out against high cheekbones, a long, thin nose, and a strong jaw line. The thin lips he remembered were now fuller, pinker. The clumpy, stringy mohawk he remembered had been cut and now hung over a forehead, shiny and yet darker than he remembered.

And the eyes...they no longer held a trace of pain or red. The dark circles he recalled had faded almost completely. Looking close, he could see they weren't the slate gray he recalled, but a beautiful ashy blue-gray...a color he wanted to be able to look into forever.

Eren's hands cupped the sides of that strong jaw as he took all of this in, letting the pads of his thumbs just gently brush over soft cheeks, so much warmer than before. He didn't let his gaze falter for a second. He suddenly felt so alive, as if this man suddenly radiated life himself...

Levi stared straight back into those brilliant turquoise pools his memory hadn't done justice. Eren's gaze held so much happiness, pride, and love that he felt he could drown in it. Finally he'd done something right, something to bring joy to Eren rather than pain. That in itself - Eren's happiness - brought him that same fluttery feeling he'd only felt when the kid was around. But now it was real. It was no longer distorted by a monster or pain of withdrawal. He could see Eren with eyes unclouded by the nasty things he'd allowed himself to exist within for so damn long. Finally he could feel human again...because of Eren.

Suddenly, Eren placed his hand on the back of Levi's head and pulled him forward into his shoulder, embracing him tighter than he ever dared before. Eren still held the same scent, the one that was starting to fade from the hoodie Levi wore right then. He clung to the front of Eren's shirt, reveling in the feeling of being in his arms again, and shut his eyes.

"I missed you, brat," he said quietly, words muffled by Eren's shoulder.

The brunet laughed, tears of pure joy pricking at his eyes. He held on tighter. No longer did Levi feel as if he would crumble at just a little too much pressure.

"I missed you, too," he said, dipping his head and pressing his nose into Levi's dark locks. He pressed his hand to the center of Levi's back where he could feel the steady beating of his heart, so very much stronger than before.

Someone cleared their throat as if reminding the two of them they weren't alone in the room, and their heads snapped up simultaneously. Six eyes were fixed directly on them and immediately Eren felt the blood rush to his face. His hand came back to scratch the back of his neck, evidently embarrassed. The eyes belonged to Alex, Rose, and an unfamiliar tall blond male whom he hadn't even noticed entered the room.

"This must be Eren," he said, extending his hand to shake. Eren fumbled to do so, nodding. "I'm Dr. Erwin Smith," he said, "the psychologist who's been working with Levi."

Said man's scowl was back, though not as deeply as Eren remembered it.

"N-nice to meet you," Eren stammered, flustered. Levi subtly slid his fingers between Eren's and gave them a gentle squeeze.

"Nice to meet you," the male countered. "I've heard quite a bit about you. You're a brave young man for what you've done for this one." He indicated Levi with a nod of his head.

"W-well..."

"He's humble," Alex explained, grinning.

"So I see," Erwin said with a smile of his own. "I just wanted to thank you for what you've done. Many, many times addiction cases will go untreated because the addict can't see the light, and I'm sure if it weren't for you, Levi would be one of them."

Eren was speechless. Of course, he already knew he was the reason for Levi's recovery, but being thanked by someone who knew and understood worlds more about drug addiction and rehabilitation than he did was...even more humbling.

"Anyway, we'll let you be on your way. And I'll be seeing you soon, Levi."

The raven gave a curt nod, though the expression on his face was almost bored. Eren could tell he was anxious to get out of there. Minutes after, they departed.

Not an hour later, they were arriving once again in front of Eren's house. The entire ride, Eren found he had trouble taking his eyes off of Levi, who never let go of his hand.

He'd been mildly reluctant to go to brunch, his mind of course still wired to avoid most unnecessary social situations, but he needed time with Eren. Suddenly everything he'd had to endure in that damn facility seemed so much more worth it, being at the brat's side again.

The three entered the house, Eren leading the way. Soft music was playing from the TV and, sure enough, Carla was in the kitchen just getting started on cooking. Mikasa, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen. She was likely still asleep.

"Mom," said the brunet from the kitchen doorway.

The woman turned from washing her hands and cast them a heartwarming smile, murmuring a greeting. She then reached out and took Levi's free hand in her cool fingers and squeezed it gently.

"It's so nice to see you again," she said.

The raven could only nod. That small, simple gesture felt so motherly to him it was almost overwhelming.

"I'm afraid I haven't even started cooking yet," she went on. "It'll be a while before it's ready."

Alex offered her hand in assistance while Eren took Levi across the kitchen to the back door. "I have something to show you," he said, sliding the glass door open and stepping onto the finished wood of the deck.

As he followed Eren across the deck and into the lush grass, Levi took in the scene of the yard. Most of it was hidden by the vines of a tall willow tree toward the south side. A privacy fence lined the border of it, different kinds of plants growing all around it. One that caught his eye was something between a bush and a vine creeping along the north side where bright red roses were beginning to bloom. He could practically smell them from where he walked, despite being halfway across the yard. Everything else was very alive, and very green, and the clear weather only added to the serene aura of the place. Only a few fluffy white clouds floated in the sky and the sun shone brightly across the garden-like yard, on anything that wasn't shaded by one of the many plants or the tree.

Eren led Levi to the far northwest corner where a tall, flourishing bush resided. It sported uniquely shaped violet flowers Levi vaguely recognized.

"This lilac bush is probably fifty years old by now," Eren said. "Which, according to my mother, is still young for one of these things. I don't really know. For the past eight years, it hasn't been blooming and my mom was afraid it was dying, even though it still had leaves on it every year. But then a couple weeks ago she was really excited 'cause it had buds on it...and now as you can see, it's in full bloom for the first time in almost a decade."

Levi gazed at the flowers for a long while, saying nothing and letting Eren's words sink in. They weren't the prettiest flowers in his opinion - he was one for roses - but the color was definitely unique and the smell was very fragrant, sweet, and inviting. He couldn't help notice the coincidental time frame, either. Eight years...

"I'm showing you this because I remember you said it was eight years ago when you first...you know..."

"Tried an opiate?" suggested the raven quietly. He caught the nod of Eren's head out of the corner of his eye. "Freaky," he murmured.

"We kinda thought it was because of my dad at first. It stopped blooming two years after he died, and when it didn't bloom for several more years, my mom concluded it was because he was gone." Eren shrugged. "Or it could just be pure coincidence. I don't know. It's just a bush."

Levi's eyes watched closely as a honeybee swarmed around the flowers in search of the perfect one to collect its pollen from.

"I'm glad your mom is happy that it came back," he said. "But I don't think it has anything to do with me. I'm still not..." His hand fluttered in front of himself, eyes dropped, unable to find the right words to say. "I never will be."

"What do you mean?"

Finally, Levi looked up to meet Eren's gaze. Surrounded by the green of the yard, the blue of his eyes was swallowed up by the emerald and his pupils were miniscule in the bright light of the sun, almost lost in the depths of iridescence.

"I'm not sure myself," he sighed.

"Are you feeling alright?" Eren asked, brows knitting together.

Levi nodded. "Much better than alright," he said, taking a subtle step closer to the taller. "Finally, right?"

The brunet's concerned frown was broken by a breathtaking smile. He nodded, and then suddenly Levi was being lifted off the ground by Eren's capable arms around his waist. He yelped in surprise, clinging to Eren's shoulders for dear life as the taller began spinning and laughing like an idiot.

"Eren-, seriously-...what the-oof!"

They'd landed under the long branches of the willow due to Eren tripping carelessly over his own feet. Levi's fall was broken by Eren's body beneath him, but the younger himself was not so lucky. The back of his head had smacked the ground quite hard and he was now rubbing it, face twisted up into a mask of discomfort.

"Idiot," Levi muttered.

Eren chuckled, "Sorry."

Levi rolled his eyes and pushed that stubborn strand of Eren's hair out of the way again. And suddenly before he really made any conscious decision to, he lowered his head and pressed his lips firmly to Eren's. Eren gasped ever so slightly before his instincts took over and he was kissing back, a hand sliding up to the back of Levi's neck. Both were slightly breathless by the time they broke apart.

"This okay?" Levi murmured.

"More than okay," responded Eren.

Levi bent down for one more chaste yet soft kiss before sitting up and pulling Eren along with him by the shirt.

"How's your head?"

"What? Oh, it's fine."

Levi's eyes rolled. "You really are a brat."

Eren blinked at him innocently as the artist threaded the fingers of both of his hands through Eren's. They sat cross-legged facing each other, knees touching. A warm breeze picked up, rustling the tree and lifting their hair slightly. Levi shut his eyes and inhaled deeply, letting the scent of the fresh air fill his lungs. Breathing was a thousand times easier than it'd been a few months ago, or even two weeks ago. Inhaling too deeply had him expecting his lungs to burn in protest, but they didn't, and he reveled in it, grateful.

Levi let one eye peek open, followed by the other as he saw Eren's own round irises locked on his face.

"Haven't gotten over your staring problem, I see," he half-teased.

"Sorry...I just can't get over it. How much better you are, I mean." His hands squeezed simultaneously. "You're not even shaking...or cold...or pale..."

Levi's lips twitched. "It was strange for me, too, when the withdrawals stopped."

Eren nodded slightly and continued to look the raven over more. He definitely had gained weight; that much was apparent when he lifted the man, though he was still clearly underweight. He was wearing essentially the same thing he had been when they'd dropped him off at the rehabilitation center - black slip on shoes and Eren's Supernatural hoodie. Instead of pajama pants, though, he sported dark gray skinny jeans that were still too loose for his bony legs, but from memory Eren knew they were tighter than they'd been, even if just a little.

"What happened to the mohawk?" he inquired, gently trapping a strand of Levi's dark hair, stray in the breeze, between his fingers.

"Grew out of it, I guess. When they figured I was safe from wanting to rip the shears out of their hands and slit my wrists with them, they let me get it cut."

Eren flinched at the 'slit my wrists' part, and Levi immediately apologized.

"That was insensitive. I'm sorry."

"It's alright."

They both clearly had quite a bit of learning and adjusting to each other to do.

And then Eren remembered something. He directed his attention to Levi's left arm and gently pulled his own left hand free.

"May I?" he asked. Levi gave a slight nod. Eren, keeping hold of the raven's hand, gently pushed the sleeve of the hoodie up to Levi's elbow and studied the now bare skin.

The scars were less prominent than he remembered, but it was because his skin had returned to a more lively shade. Many of the dark spots left from his countless injections were gone, but there were still a few needle points his eyes were able to pick out as evidence of what had been.

The word Levi had carved into himself was easily the most conspicuous there. It was still pinkish and shinier than the rest of his skin. Eren let his eyes trail over it for a long while, uncertain.

"It's ugly, I know," Levi said quietly. "You don't have to look at it."

And suddenly Eren's head was descending toward his forearm and his soft lips pressed ever so delicately to the markings. A tingle instantaneously shot up Levi's arms and his eyes widened at the sight. Eren's breath tickled his skin just before he lifted his head again.

"What...was...?" Levi was speechless.

"It's not ugly," Eren countered. "I told you you're a fighter, didn't I? And look. It's almost completely healed. And you're still here...still breathing like you said you wanted to be."

He'd done it again. Just when Levi thought he was starting to get used to the wonders of this kid he adored so much, when he thought there was no possible way Eren could surprise him anymore, he'd turned around and done something else to have Levi's stomach fluttering and his heart pounding relentlessly.

"I'm so proud of you," Eren went on.

Levi averted his eyes. "You give me too much credit."

"No," said Eren, placing the pad of his thumb against Levi's cheek so he'd meet his eyes again. "You don't give yourself enough credit."

"Tch..."

At that moment Alex's voice rang out from the back door.

"Yo! Time to eat!"

"Be right there," Eren called back without taking his eyes from Levi's. "You've...been on the brink of losing your life in so many ways for a long time," he continued quietly. "I guess it's probably hard to see looking at yourself and I understand that, but one day I think you'll be able to see how strong you really are."

Levi's eyes dropped and he removed Eren's hand from his face and kept hold of it. "Maybe," he said quietly.

Eren leaned forward just enough for their foreheads to touch. "And I'll be here...while you figure it out. If...if you want me to be..."

Levi's Adam's apple bobbed. His heart was still pounding at Eren's closeness, at how intimate that moment felt...how absolutely right it felt.

"I-I do," he stammered lightly. He pressed his palm to Eren's, but did not twine their fingers. "You're the reason I'm still here. I want you to stay." He swallowed hard again. "And even though I doubt I'd be much help...I wanna be here for you, too...if you want..."

Eren smiled gently and hooked his pinkie finger around Levi's and murmured, "Then it's a promise."

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Okay no I really love this chapter wtf. Let me know if you love it as much as I do, or idk hated it? Lol.